café au lait
by sincerelyours
Summary: "Do me good and all this craziness will disappear." "We're not in LA anymore babe."  Today's cafe au lait special's are a redheaded insomniac, a fusion of indian/caucasian fuckbuddies and a suffering musician in love with two best friends.
1. un

**A/N: Rainy days inspire me. What can I say?**

**Disclaimer: nope, don't own Victorious. Shit goddamn.**

Beck was frustrated. He would say he was pissed, but he didn't feel he had the right to be. His roommate had sexiled him. Now, Beck wasn't one to cock block but he really had to get shit done. His editor would decapitate his head and feed it to baby eagles for nutrition if he didn't have that article turned in by 8 am. It was now 2:23 am. He would never have it perfect on time. He wouldn't be so nervous about the whole ordeal in any other circumstances, considering how he was pretty calm, cool and collected. Or so he likes to describe himself as. However being the only freshman on the school's paper was unnerving, and his editor scares him. And Beck isn't afraid of much. But the woman has no soul. If it wasn't for the fact that his poor roommate had to deal with Jade's random and frequent visits, Beck would be pissed.

But really it was fucking cold and he couldn't really help from getting pissed that he wasn't in his cozy dorm in NYU sipping some coffee with some fuzzy socks on. He doesn't care if they're not manly enough, but they just don't make fuzzy awesome socks for guys. He remembers the first time Jade caught him wearing his favorite socks. He unfortunately did not get laid that night. Beck found himself thinking about coffee, Jade and New York. He breathed in the crisp December air that was biting at his cheeks, and threw himself into his favorite French themed café.

* * *

><p>Cat really didn't like New York much. She especially disliked the winter. A Cat like her doesn't do well in 15 degree weather. She didn't like how the people didn't understand that she was happy all the time. The fact that she could not wear her pretty dresses and shirts and skirts and strappy heels did not sit well with her. She couldn't eat ice cream without feeling frigid, and she was getting pale. It was as if the beautiful LA sun felt betrayed by her absence and was dripping off her as revenge. But even Cat couldn't deny something, and that was that New York never slept, which really worked out considering she didn't either. New York had time square. And time square had lights, and lights were her absolute favorite. All of them made the dark of the night go away, and it was as if fireworks were constantly being lit up and Cat loved the fourth of July.<p>

She was walking to her job. It made her homesickness a little more bearable. It was at a quaint coffee shop called, "Café au lait." The café was meant to give insomniacs or night enthusiasts like her spot to unwind and be able to have a cup of coffee. Finding a place like this for a girl like her must be like what a person must feel when they crack open a clam and a pearl lies inside. Or like finding red velvet ice cream amongst a myriad of vanillas and chocolates. It was a treasure. Going to work was her favorite part of the day. Or night, if you were one for specifics.

Cat opened the door to her job, took off her trench coat revealing a body hugging red dress. She asked August, the owner, for a strawberry's and crème Frappuccino. She always liked to show up an hour early to work, get a feel for the place. The atmosphere of her little café tended to change. Sometimes it would feel energetic and lovely and other times the air would be dense with melancholy. Today was different though. It might have been that Cat felt really sexy in her dress tonight, or the image that was now burned into her mind of Andre's shirt sticking to his body like a second skin after they got caught in the rain today. Whatever it was, Cat was feeling (dare she think it?) _sensual_ and she wasn't about to let this rare occurrence go unnoticed. Cat finished up her frap and made her way to the "Cat Corner." She whispered her song choice to Liam and got ready for the café's chatter to simmer down as it always did minutes before 3 am came along. The quiet approached, and Cat angled her head down in anticipation. She heard the café door open, figured it was probably a late customer. Liam's saxophone's soulful tune finally entered her ears and she was no longer in café au lait. She sat on top of the grand piano by her corner and lifted her head. As the grandfather clock in the opposite corner rang at 3 a.m. precisely, Cat's voice filled the silence.

* * *

><p>The first thing Beck noticed was the unsettling silence that met him inside his café. Then the familiar smells of Colombian coffee and brownies that he associated with the place rushed at him. He ran his hand through his hair in both annoyance and confusion. What the fuck was happening? Did no one in the world want him to keep his wonderful head attached to his body? Why was no one assisting him in his need for caffeine? He noted that most in the café had turned around slightly to see the source of the disturbance of the weird silence, but just as quickly they would direct their attention to far corner of the café where he could barely see the figures of a woman and a man. After about 30 seconds of more silence, the lights over the corner began to slowly intensify in their glow and he could clearly see a man playing the saxophone and a woman with her head looking downwards. That's when it hit Beck. Café au lait was known for more than their coffee—however exquisite it was. It was known to be the only privately owned coffee shop around the university to be open 24 hours a day, and it had live entertainment in the early hours. As a matter of fact, that's how Beck had come to learn of the place. He had just never been eager enough to venture into the glacial weather to actually witness their little concerts.<p>

Beck let out a sigh. He now had to wait for his roommate to finish up with his, uhm, activities, he had to wait for this show to be over so he can get his coffee, and he had to wait for his imminent death. He definitely was not finishing that article. He pulled over a stool from the bar and waited for the show to start. Beck was not leaving without that coffee.

**A/N: Review babes, you know you want to...**


	2. deux

**A/N: I have no idea where I'm going with this.**

**Disclaimer: I am just a poor college student that would rather entertain all of you than do her work. So no, not Dan! Don't own shit.**

**Deux.**

And she breathed more than actually sang,_ "I missed him most of all when it got late."_

Really, in retrospect, he should have not been that surprised. But for god sake, this was Cat Valentine. Cats like her don't sing sexually charged songs by Amy Winehouse. They also most certainly do not sway their hips in such a way that Beck's eyes couldn't help but follow, be entranced by, want to sink his hands into and—he had to rip his eyes away from her, and fast before he recognized he had thought of being more than amiable to his high school friend. As a matter of fact, he hadn't seen Cat in almost six months. What the hell was she doing in New York?

Beck closed his eyes and started grabbing fistfuls of his hair. He had never before felt so energized. His skin felt like it was on fire, his lips were swollen from biting them in embarrassment and his pants unfortunately felt a little tighter. This was not normal. He had seen girls wear tight dresses before. In fact, he had seen girls wear _nothing_before. Beck was not one to suffer from lack of companionship. He however felt something reverberate through him, as if he was a puddle that had a stone thrown at him. His body was housing heat in his stomach and rippling it throughout his lungs, legs, and fingertips. It was absolutely invigorating. And though he'd like to blame the (hottttt) dress she wore, he couldn't. Something about her had changed. And for the better. Cat Valentine had Beck Oliver spellbound.

"Here's your coffee prettyboy."

"…wait, what?"

* * *

><p>Cat had a good night. Her rendition of a few jazz songs that had been buzzing in her head had for a while now came out with such liquid bodily tension and precision she had surprised herself. And apparently Liam, who directly looked in her eyes and asked for her hand in marriage after the last of the night comers left and the morning people came. She said yes and let her airy laugh fill the room along with his deeper chuckle while they stacked the chairs on top of tables. The section of the café by her corner would close during the day and become home to what seemed like hundreds of cushions. That's what had her charmed by her job, they had something for everyone. People who didn't want to sit by the bar or in a table could just find home in the rich colors of the satin pillows on the floor by her microphone.<p>

"We'll get married to each other 17 years from now in Paris during the spring. We'll hold hands and the first thing we'll do is visit the Eiffel. Then breathe in what's always been meant to be our home." Liam said while he brought out the broom to sweep. Cat laughed and shook her head.

"We can eat ice cream and mail post cards and sing and play and eat croissants and be in lalalaloveeeeeeeeeeeeeee with life!" She giggled at the thought. She couldn't help but notice how she hand long replaced Liam with Andre in that same scenario. She pictured his large calloused hand gripping her own, his thumb drawing circles in her palm. She would shiver and it wouldn't be because it was chilly. He would lean and breathe her in, as if she was the most enticing aroma in the world. Whisper sweet nothings into her ear. Lightly rotate her face and nudge her with his nose and place the lightest of kisses on her lips. She opened her eyes that she hadn't realized she shut, and shook her head. She smiled and touched her lips. Andre had kissed her in the rain today and she still felt like electricity. Together they'd be a symphony.

Cat grabbed her trench coat from the coat rack and after giving a kiss to the cheek to Liam and August, she walked home. The cold enveloped her and made her feel hollow. She silently cursed and picked up her pace. It was so cold, Cat had almost regretted wearing her red dress. Then she realized that Andre would still be able to see her in it. Cat practically started running. She had forgotten that Andre would be staying over tonight because his cousin had asked him for privacy with his girlfriend. She felt nervous. She had never had a sleepover with a boy, and she had failed to go google activities for them to do. Ugh. Cat brightened though, spending time with Andre was never hard. He laughed at everything she said and she was beginning to think that he was going to finally reciprocate the feelings she's had for him since the 5th grade.

She finally made it to her apartment building and quickly entered the key and opened the door. Inside the corridor she saw a tangle of bare limbs and god was it possible for bodies to be that close together? She heard animalistic growls and moans, her ivory contrasted so harshly with his ebony. They kissed long and hard and never once left for air. Jade raked her nails down Andre's naked back and she arched her back into his and let out a whine. After a few counts he stopped his thrusting and just held her up by the wall, her dress hiked up to her waist and his pants wrapping around his ankles.

And Cat felt her reality elapse around her as the love of her life fucked her roommatebestfriendsister. She dropped the box of red velvet cupcakes she had and let out a moan that resonated against the corridors walls. As her heart imploded inside her chest, she felt faint, and wondered if she was dying. She held on to the wall for support and watched as the faces that were once so full of pleasure were now mirrors of utter horror and regret. Cat dry heaved, never having felt such disgust. She tore her eyes away from them and her body tensed up. She looked at Andre's face one more time, the one she had kissed not ten hours earlier and felt her soul die along with her heart. Without a single tear she exited the corridor, leaving Jade with a "please don't leave."

As Cat walked on the streets of New York aimlessly at 8 o'clock in the morning, with her heels in her hand and her bare feet on concrete, she realized the cold wasn't that bad at all.

* * *

><p>Beck walked into his editor's office with his hair sticking all different ways and dark circles under his eyes. He looked like shit. He had eventually gotten to his room and finished his article in less than an hour producing something less than decent. He waited for the shedevil to rip him apart, and wondered about his life decisions. He felt buzzed, and it was not because he had purchased about 4 coffees at Café au Lait. Cat had been in the front of his thoughts since he heard her sing. He could not emancipate himself from his thoughts and it was unsettling him. He handed his editor the crap he was trying to pull with a cringe. Beck deeply wondered why Cat was in New York, why he was trying to pull every memory he had with her from high school, and why he was now thinking why he hadn't thought much of the kiss they shared for that one short film. He also wondered if Jade knew Cat was here. Oh god, Jade would kill him if she found out that he was, whatever the hell he was going through with Cat. Now that he thought about it, Jade hadn't contacted him in an entire day. That's been the longest he's gone without her since sophomore year at Hollywood Arts. He felt it was too coincidental. Though Jade and he were nothing but friends with benefits now, he still had a deep affection for her and had a wrenching feeling something was wrong. He would call her as soon as he finished class that day, maybe after he got a burrito at Chipotle too, god he was hung—<p>

"what the hell is this shit?"

Oh holy fuck.

**A/N: Like I mentioned before, I have no idea where I'm going with this. Though there was a little bit of a risque scene, that was just for dramatic purposes. So no more of that to come, which is why I'm staying true to my T rating. Besides that, I'd just love to hear what you guys think! If you guys leave quotes for me, I'll include them in my next chapter. See what I'm doing here, I'm whoring around for reviews. Pwetty pweaseee? :)? thank you for my first reviewers escaperealityforawhile, ssongmelody and julie. You guys are beautiful, and this ones for you. Don't let me wallow in misery, gimme some sugga babes.**


	3. trois

**A/N: Okay. This is sooooo long. And I'll probably never write another long chapter like this, but it needed to be done. I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for not updating any sooner, but I've truly been busy with school. Turns out it actually requires work. A few warnings before you start: 1) This is LOADED with Candre action. It however needs to happen in order to get to the Bat part. 2) There's barely any of Beck here, but be patient. 3) You're all beautiful and I love you. Remember that.**

Andre Harris kissed Cat Valentine four times.

04.01.2004

_Cat bit her bottom lip in concentration. Her hands were smothered with paint. Her shirt, skirt, tights, cheeks, nose and forehead had fallen victim to her masterpiece as well. She placed the finishing touch and voila! She felt jittery with excitement while admiring the canvas in front of her. She jumped and screeched with sudden fright when she felt a hand upon her shoulder._

"_Well shit, I didn't mean to give you a heart attack. Though, that would be pretty cool."_

_Cat cringed at the foul word, but bounced back and gave Jade a hug; it had been a while since her best friend had been at school. She stepped back and in an over exaggerated manner placed her hand over her chest and with a British accent said, "You gave me a fright!"_

_Jade rolled her eyes, but offered her friend a smile. "Remind me to burn your Parent Trap cassette when I come over today k?"_

"_I will not! And you're coming over? Yay! Are you all better now? I heard that getting the chicken pox when you're a big kid isn't very good."_

"_It was itchy."_

"_One time my brother was itchy because he ate my charm bracelet."_

"_Your brother is so weird, but cute."_

"_He is not! Ewie."_

"_Whatever. Well I hafta go to my class now, this has been an unusually long bathroom break."_

"_Oh okay! See you at lunchtime!"_

_Jade nodded and marched out of the art room. Cat smiled and was about to put her paints away before Mrs. Young got mad at her again when she heard a whistle coming from the direction of the door. _

"_Oh I just forgot to tell you, your painting is really good. Mind helping me out with mine tomorrow?"_

"_Yesyesyes! I love to paint!"_

"_Alright. Bye for real now."_

_Cat watched Jade go and then turned her attention back to her painting. It was the best one she had done yet. It was a picture of a bunch of balloons going into the sunset. Her teacher said that it was so good that she was going to enter it into a contest! But Cat had said no, because it was a gift. Cat smiled, she felt so happy that she could break out in those fancy spins they taught her in ballet class when she was four. Today was the day she was going to give her mommy the best birthday present in the world. She screeched again when her teacher suddenly appeared right behind her. _

"_Caterina Valentine! Oh my god look at what you've done to yourself, you're covered from head to toe. Go to the ladies room and clean yourself up! I'll clean up your table. Go, go!"_

_Cat ran to the bathroom, Mrs. Young was a little scary when she saw messy things. She was turning into the tiny hallway that led to the bathroom when she bumped really hard into a boy causing them both to fall down. She held her head and stayed on the floor because the world was too busy dancing right now and it was making her dizzy. The boy said sorry like a million times and helped her stand up. When she finally stood up she realized that it was the new kid who was in Jade's class. What was his name again? He sounded weird, kind of like a cowboy. _

"_I'm really really reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally sorry miss!" _

_Cat giggled and said, "Oh its okay, I kind of think it was my fault for running! I'm Cat!" _

"_I'm Andre, and again I'm really sorry for this."_

"_It's fine really, no bigg—"She never got to finish though. Andre grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her. On the lips! And then he ran to where a group of boys stood laughing and saying different things like "eww you have cooties now," "You're crazy! You can sit with us," and "you actually did it!"_

_Cat was confused, her head still hurt a lot, and she still felt dizzy, but she couldn't help but smile even bigger than before. Her lips felt all tingly and she had won. She kissed a boy before Jade. And he was cute._

* * *

><p><span>08.16.2009<span>

"_Y'know for such a sweet thing like, I'd figure you'd like sprinkles, chocolate chips, and all types of candy. You sure you want your fro yo plain?"_

"_Yes silly!" She giggles, than says more to herself than to Andre, "Chocolate's my favorite," then after a pause adds in," you should know!"_

_Boy was chocolate her favorite._

"_Well alright lil red." He chuckles and it comes out throaty, hearty, dare she think it—sexy. And she can't help but follow his spoon to his mouth and she can't help but imagine how sweet he must taste right now and she can't help but notice how he doesn't pull away when she holds his hand. _

_However, Cat's bliss went short lived. He lets go and leads her to the nearest table while animatedly describing the latest of his family's shenanigans. Cat laughs and nods while playing with his hand and then laughs some more. He just looked so gosh darn cute when he was mad. As she looked down at their hands, she felt complete. His glistening skin contrasted her own so well. Sometimes she thought Andre was the Edward to her life. She smiles and giggles to herself. They'd make cute vegetarian vampires._

"…_and she just threw it out the window! That is the third pearphone she has sentenced to a traumatic death lil red, and I ain't no Kardashian! That woman's going to ruin me."_

"_Ohmygosh that reminds me of this one time my brother got Botox and got a really weird reaction from it that when he got home he was so mad that my grandpa make his hot chocolate wrong that he threw him out the window!"_

"_Was he okay?"_

"_Oh yeah, he made a wonderful recovery, not a wrinkle to be found! Although earlier today I read this fortune cookie that said," she deepens her voice and slows down, "where a wrinkle lies is where many a smile has been born." She then gushes, "So if wrinkles are just smile lines I don't see the rush to get rid of them! Proof that you're happy!" She gasps a little. Sometimes when she gets excited she forgets to breathe._

"_Oh Cat, you're happy enough for everybody."_

"_What's that supposed to mean!"_

_He gives her a lazy grin and his coffee colored eyes look at her with this adoration that she gasps again._

"_Well I got to get to the studio, but do me a favor and give these sheets to Jade please? She left them behind last time when we were, uh, y'know rehearsing. Well got to go, but we really need to do this more often. Really. I mean it."_

_Everything Cat wants to do is beg him to stay so they could hold hands and she could hear his voice some more and feel her stomach sink and lift as if she was in one of those crazy rollercoasters at Dingoland. But instead she says, "Kk! See ya tomm andy!"_

_He leans in real close over their table and suddenly Cat thinks he's finally realized that what they have is more than even the best of friends can handle. Her heart begins thundering against her ribcage as he lingers and she closes her eyes to relish the moment she's been dreaming of since the spring of the fifth grade. But she feels him press his lips against her temple and when she opens here eyes he's already leaving and giving a wave._

_She can't help but notice that her older brother kisses her in that same spot._

* * *

><p><span>09.30.2010<span>

"_Your red hair is kind of spectacular."_

"_Yours reminds me of a beautiful chocolate brown fur coat."_

"_Haha, is that so?"_

"_Very much my fair prince."_

"_Prince? I'm your prince?"_

"_Yes, I think you'll do just fine. My very own Prince Eric."_

"_Then you have to be my Ariel. Forever and ever."_

"_Nonononono!"_

"_Why not?"_

"_That wouldn't be decent, we're not even married yet."_

"_But we are."_

"_I'm drunk, not dumb! Why is it that everybody thinks I'm stupid?"_

"_Well you're just sort of unreal."_

"_WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"_

"_That, that, that, uhmmm you're too good to be true, you're too perfect to be from this world."_

"_Well duh silly, I live in my own world. Full of magical things."_

"_Like what?_

"_Stars and unicorns and cotton candy and pink ballerina slippers and red dye and cupcakes and vanilla chai and tea cups and acoustic songs and Paris and hot rollers and boxed wine and red lip stick and chocolate and the 1940's movies and typewriters and high wasted shorts and glitter and grilled cheeses with crusts cut off and fairy tales."_

"_You forgot two things princess."_

"_And what's that?"_

"_Vodka and me."_

"_Well that's a given isn't it?" Cat broke into a hysterical fit of giggles, so violent an attack that she started feeling a bit light. Light as a feather really, she felt like maybe she could float away from this party she wasn't invited to._

"_Well, if we are to spend eternity and forever together, would you like to give me the pleasure of a dance darling?" _

_Cat couldn't help but swoon. A boy had never taken such interest in her alone, without striking out with Tori, Jade or sometimes even Trina first. She was beyond flattered that Noah, one of the most talented and attractive seniors in her school would try to go after her. She stood up, and the world was a carousel, and she was stuck in the middle, not so steadily on her feet, she was falling, falling, falling—_

"_Woah there princess, don't hurt yourself now."_

"_Y'know, I wouldn't mind falling in love with you."_

"_Well that's good news, considering how I'm already madly in love with you."_

_Cat laughed and laughed and laughed and went to kiss him in the cheek when he swiftly shifted his face and stole a kiss. It was sweet. Noah tasted like hazelnut, cherry chopstick, and fruit punch with vodka. His face was a bit rough, and his five o' clock shadow tickled Cat's face when she kissed him back, but nonetheless it was wonderfully slow and gave here hope. Maybe it wasn't too late._

_Noah broke the kiss first, and his smile was so bright she had to squint her eyes a little. _

"_Marry me Cat Valentine, right now! Jeff come over here, you're marrying me to this girl."_

_At this point, Noah was being loud enough to get the attention of everybody around them, including her friends who had abandoned her early on in the party. Jeff finally stopped kissing some girl long enough to stumble his way over to them. He stood in front of Noah and Cat, who had turned to face each other. _

"_Do you, Noah Parks take ehhh…"_

"_Cat! Cat Valentine!"_

"_Do you, Noah Parks, take Cat Valentine as your lawfully wedded wife til death do you apart?"_

"_I do, hurry up. I want to kiss my wife."_

_At this point they had a crowd surrounding them, with people scoffing at their stupidity but laughing all the same, because it's not every day they get to attend a wedding._

"_Do you, Cat Valentine, take Noah Parks as you lawfully wedded husband—aw crap, I forgot. If anybody would like to object to this beautiful couple's union, speak now or forever hold your peace."_

_The crowd respected the seriousness of the situation and waited for the ceremony to continue._

"_Well then, do you Cat Valent—"_

"_STOP! Stop stop stop!"_

_The crowd gasped and looked around for the man guilty of the objection. Andre Harris could be seen making his way through several drunken teenagers roaring to get out of the way. He proceeded to rip her away from Noah's grip and ran towards the nearest exit, dragging her along more than leading her. When they were outside of the house and just as Cat was going to demand why Andre had separated her from her Prince Eric he pressed her to the wall behind her and kissed away all the words and hopes of happiness without him. _

* * *

><p><span>12.23.2012<span>

_Cat stood in LaGuardia airport with a bedazzled sign that a tad unintelligibly spelled out Andre Harris. In the midst of all the business suits and the occasional Hawaiian shirts, he was easy to pinpoint. She saw him first, as always. Rather than call out his name she waited for him to make it to the front. The second he caught sight of her sign he let out the laugh that spoke to her soul and rooted electricity up her nerve endings. She used a running start to jump on him, digging her face into the nook of his neck and relished in the feel of him. She had longed for his touch in these past six months that seemed more like an eternity than half a year. They stayed like that for a while, but he finally let her down and spoke first. _

"_Missed me?"_

"_Unbelievably so."_

"_Nah, you're lying lil red."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_You haven't changed a bit, I'm glad. But prove it to me, how have much have you missed me?"_

"_I've missed you like I would miss red velvet cupcakes if they were ever to go extinct."_

"_Oh my god. I didn't know I was that important to you." And he let out a chuckle and nudged her arm a bit._

"_Hmph! How long are you here for?"_

"_All of break, so I'll be heading back to LA around the 20__th__."_

_Cat squealed._

"_haha, I knew you would be happy. Talking about happiness and all things sunshine, where's the wicked witch?"_

"_Jade? Oh she couldn't make it, she had to go to rehearsal. Can you believe her understudy actually got malaria? My brother once contracted malaria from licking a park bench in Venezuela. However, luckily for Jade, she was her understudy so now she's starring in a play! AT COLLEGE. I'm throwing her a mini congratulations get together tonight, I thought that maybe you'd like to come? Beck's almost sure to come according to Jade."_

"_Look at you, reuniting the old HA crew. I'm there. It's actually perfect, because I was looking for a place to crash. You think Jade will mind?"_

"_No, not at all! Well let's get out of this boring airport! Haven't you ever wondered why airports have to be the same off white color? Why not hot pink? OH MY GOSH, or red!" Cat rambled on trying to swallow down the butterflies that were desperately trying to find an escape from her tummy. Andre was spending the night._

"_Maybe you should get into the airport designing business honey."_

"_Imagine! Jet setters would be so much happier!"_

"_I bet." He gave her a smile than grabbed her hand, "Lead the way lil red."_

_She gripped his hand and headed towards the car. They walked on in silence, but Cat felt full. She felt full to the brim. _

"_Cat, it's gonna rain, run!"_

"_What?"_

_It hadn't been seconds since Andre warned her that frigid torrential downpour soaked them to their cores._

"_Sloooowdown Andre! HAHA this feels like magic." She let go of his hand and stood still, spread her arms, shut her eyes, threw her head back and let the rain wet her down to her bones. Andre realized that he hadn't known what beauty was until that moment._

"_Cat, you know how you said that you always were mad at me for stealing your first kiss because you had originally planned for it to take place in the rain?"_

_Cat shot her head at him and through the rain drops caught in her eyelashes she looked at the man she'd been in love with for nearly half her life. Her heart refused to beat. If Andre hadn't already been approaching her, he wouldn't have heard her very uncharacteristically soft whisper of a yes._

"_Well alright then." He grabbed her face and with his thumb he brushed her hair behind her ears. He then mapped her face with his fingertips, lingering on her lips, before claiming them with his own. It would be the best and last kiss they'd ever have._

It was around 10 a.m, and Cat had walked aimlessly barefoot and with a red dress that was so obviously from the night before. Some people looked at her with curiosity, others pity, but most were variations of disgust. They assumed what she had been doing last night to appear in such a way in the early hours of the day. Cat looked at them and laughed until she succumbed into tearful hysterics, and said quite of a few times to unfortunate passerbys, "If you only knew the irony of my life."

She went to a novelty souvenir shop, and bought an "I 3 New York" shirt, a pack of cards, and a lighter. Her next stop was the next liquor she saw, where she bought a pack of Marlboro reds and a tiny bottle of vodka with her fake. Her final stop was some trendy thrift store she had never noticed before. Inside the tiny boutique, she found a tutu that was adorned with black marks and tears, a pair of scuffed up combat boots, some pretty tights, and a black wool cardigan. She asked the owner if she could use the bathroom, and she put on her new purchases, anything to get out of that red dress. Cat looked broken, not a ballerina, not a tourist, not a combat boot wearing kind of girl, she looked like she felt: an absolute mess.

She thanked the owner profusely, and walked to Central Park. The first thing to go was her previous outfit, her shoes and dress were folded neatly and placed on top of a bench. She walked to a little more to a relatively secluded area. There she lit a cigarette, and dumped the deck of cards. She took the four four's and burned them, one by one. Her entire time at New York she had considered four her lucky number. When there was nothing but burnt plastic and paper, she left and walked to the complete opposite side of the park. There she claimed a bench as her own, lay down, hid her purse, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Beck had gone for a walk. Now, it is generally known that when Beckett Oliver goes for walks, something horrible has happened. In this case, his editor had labeled him a piece of shit and he was banned from writing anything for the paper for three weeks. Why again was he in the stupid newspaper in the first place? It had all been Jade's idea for him to accept the offer, oh with its privileges and exclusivity. He was a grumpy boy. Chipotle was closed. He felt like he had lost one of his balls. And to make it the entire better, Jade West was not answering HIS phone calls. She always answered. The worry was eating him alive. However, to top the ice cream sundae of complete and utter shit that was his life, he still couldn't get Cat's performance out of his head. It remained forefront to all his thoughts. He was concerned. AND he was having a bad hair day. All of his life's misfortunes had pointed him to embark on this walk.<p>

The first thing that distracted Beck from wallowing in his self-misery for the rest of eternity was the smell of hot dogs. Oh boy. It wasn't any ordinary hot dog either; it was authentic, street cart New York hot dog for one dollar, one beautiful dollar. Beck took this as a sign from the Gods that they wanted him to live. He bought three hot dogs, a pretzel and a Sunkist. He felt like a young boy on Christmas morning. He walked until he found a park bench to feast on, which was unusually far into Central Park. Once he did though, he felt bliss. There was nothing more New York than morning smog, questionable hot dogs and bands playing in central park for pocket change.

After he was full, Beck decided that he felt a lot better, and needed to put a post it on his desktop to never allow himself to get hungry again or self-destruction is inevitable. Beck reached into his jacket and pulled out a menthol cigarette, and lit with a pack of matches he got for free with this pack. Old school. He enjoyed his drags, and watched the smoke dance away into the air. It had been a good time since his last smoke, he only did it when he was in dire consequences. He thought the situation was applicable. He was about to turn around when he noticed combat boots a few benches over. Beck's heart skipped a beat. Why was Jade in central park? He nonchalantly sauntered over to see who the combats belonged too, when his hot dog threatened to make a second appearance. Yes, that girl in the bench in front of him in a deep slumber was Cat Valentine. A million questions went through his mind and he just had to find out.

"Cat, Cat, Cat! Wake up baby, its morning."

"…Beck?"

**A/N: YOU GUYS MADE IT! Ugh, I'm so proud. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Like to hate it? Hate to love it? Suggestions? Tell meeeee pwease. In other words, review please. It makes me feel all special inside.**


	4. quatre

**A/N: hello my loves. It is I, sincerelyours, alive and well. This story will go on, however sporadically I update it. Have I mentioned I'm in love with each and everyone of you? I think so…if not, know that I do. That's all folks.**

**Disclaimer: Not a man, not a dan.**

quatre.

Cat stretched her arms and legs much like a real cat would, straightened herself out best she could, sat up and took her phone out of her purse. Four missed calls and two texts, all from Jade and Andre. Ignoring that, she looked at the time and noticed that she had barely taken a nap. It had been about forty minutes since she fell asleep and she had managed to achieve a sore back and being woken up by her old high school friend. Cat cursed her awful luck. She thought the very best of Beck, he was a lovely person in fact, but she wasn't ready to pretend to be okay. She'd allow herself to dedicate one day to being completely heartbroken and do nothing but lie in bed with no trace of makeup on her face, eat ice cream, cry and watch lifetime movies. In that very instant, it dawned on Cat that she couldn't go home, Jade would surely be there waiting for her. She couldn't risk the chance of seeing her. Not yet. Beck awkwardly coughed in front of her.

"Long time no see kitkat."

"You woke me up, now that wasn't very nice of you!"

"Well I'm sorry, I didn't know you chose public park benches as your nap spot of choice."

"Now you know. Go away now please."

"What?"

"I'm tired and I don't feel too happy. And I don't want to talk to anybody. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'd like you to go away now."

"Tough luck kid."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not leaving. See I have this problem."

Cat had enough of those.

"I don't care right now."

"Ouch. I'll tell you anyway."

"…" She figured that maybe if she ignored him, he'd go away.

"I have this issue. Gets me into many an uncomfortable predicament really. I have this unexplainable tendency to pick up miserable yet beautiful girls like yourself and taking them to eat frozen yogurt. It's a horrible addiction of mine and I can't really seem to come to a stop. Quite coincidental that my maiden for today should be none other than the Caterina Valentine of the lands of Los Angeles. What're you doing in New York?"

Cat offered him a broken smile. "I live here now."

"Do you now? This should make it all the easier then. Perhaps you know how to get out of this place a little quicker than I do."

"Perhaps."

"So, how about it?"

"I've had a bad night."

"So have I!"

Cat laughed.

"C'mon now Cat. Do this. For me?"

Cat stood up and walked in the direction that Beck had come from. She didn't know why she was doing this. "I don't like anything on my frozen yogurt."

Beck's smile was so wide you could count his teeth.

* * *

><p>When she finally got them out of Central Park, which was more of a maze than a place for leisurely walks if you asked him, they set out on a mile journey to Pinkberry. He told her stories of how this Pinkberry was superior to all other Pinkberries, and how he felt kind of bad that other frozen yogurt shops had such an example to live up to. It was kind of like trying to become a legacy when your mastery was off-key karaoke. It just didn't happen. Cat would giggle a few seconds too late, and after Beck had exhausted all his petty attempts to entertain her, a silence fell upon them. As they passed several stores, Cat started reciting to him all of the arm lengths of the men who walked by them, and with a flush of the cheeks, the breast sizes of the woman. The first time she did this, he couldn't help but laugh a little harder than he had meant to, and the only reason he hadn't doubled over was because that wasn't a very cool thing to do. Even if hearing Cat utter the word "breast" was hilarious. He was a man; his emotions couldn't be out for the entire world to see. But as the petite girl took out a cig from her bag, lit it swiftly with a lighter that appeared out of visibly nowhere, and took a drag with a easiness and genuineness that gave off the impression that she had done this countless times, he couldn't seem to care. He laughed really hard when Cat blurted 36DD, and she giggled right on time. She flicked her smoke aside after a few minutes, and when a cool wind swept past the city, she closed the distance between them and interlocked their fingers. Cat had always been that way, yearning for physical touch at all times. As they stepped together, Beck thought of how he was enjoying Cat's company far more than he could have ever imagined himself doing so.<p>

"Hey Beckett."

Beck looked down at her and blinked a few times, an incredulous expression adorning his face.

"A MAN such as myself does not go by such a medieval and unhip name. Beck it is and Beck it shall stay. As my beautiful victim of choice for the day, you will have to abide by my rules."

Cat's looked at him for a few seconds,

"You're a priss."

"AM NOT."

"Fine. But you are fussy. Look, we're here!"

He felt the cold immediately when she let go of his hand and walked a few steps ahead of him. He stood on line with her and asked her to order for the both of them, as this was custom of his outings. She agreed and asked him to go sit at the table, told him that she'd be right over, and refused to accept the money he unsuccessfully shoved into her small hands. As he sat from a corner table, he realized that if one were to look at Cat Valentine simply from the outside, it would be easy to say that she hadn't changed. Red hair, beautifully tan skin (albeit a little paler now, must be New York), and still quite short. He found it a little sick how he always enjoyed her being so much smaller than him.

However, if one were to inspect Cat from the inside, it would be just as equally easy to point out that something was not very right. It reminded him of those very few, but very real moments that he had noticed in high school but chose to ignore. When Jade made an especially rude remark, or when Tori would treat her like a child, but more often than not it would be when Andre would choose Tori or even Jade to sing his songs. He had always blamed it on her natural tendency to feel emotions with ten times more intensity than most people he knew. But for some reason, as he looked at her now, hair slightly out of place, and not a trace of pink on her clothing, he was seeing an exact mirror image of those few instances he had caught of her—he couldn't quite think of the word to describe it. Nothappiness would have to suffice. It was as if the ever present sunshine that lived in Cat's eyes had dimmed, and she would stay still and in complete and utter silence. He had always thought that she looked like she had found out for the first time that life wasn't a fairy tale where everyone has a happy ending. In those few seconds, Beck would see lucidity behind her eyes instead of the sun, and he always squeezed Jade's hands then. He didn't like nothappy Cat.

Beck didn't really know what had happened to Cat, but he had this feeling in his stomach that told him he needed to find out. That, or he was still hungry.

* * *

><p>After getting frozen yogurt with Beck, Cat felt the tiniest bit more alive. She'd have to make him a bedazzled thank you card. As unreal the probability, the smiles she shared with him were as real as she could muster at the moment, and the ache of tears threatening to burst out at any second felt a little tamer. It was over all very nice. Cat had never really developed a close relationship with Beck at Hollywood Arts, out of respect for Jade. But right now, she didn't care too much.<p>

Spite did ugly things.

Cat had only walked about a block away from Pinkberry when she heard heavy shuffling coming her way, and instinctually swung at her intruder with her purse.

"OWWWW, GOOD GOD. Cat, what do you have in there?"

Cat opened her eyes as quickly as she had squinted them shut.

"BECK, you scared the shit out of me! What're you doing?"

"Well, uh. I don't have anything going on for the rest of the day, and I thought maybe be we could spend the rest of it together if you didn't have anything else planned either. Continue catching up."

"No." She turned back around and continued walking.

"What? Why? I'm a good time!"

"BECK, I need to go get drunk somewhere. See! You heard me now, leave me alone."

Beck stood there mouth agape. Boobs, cigarettes, alcohol? Since when did Cat become such a badass? He saw her walk away from him again, combat boots pattering against the concrete in a way he was familiar with.

"Wait! I'll drink with you! Can't have you doing that alone, wouldn't be any fun."

"I'm not doing it for fun, gosh! I went for fro yo, leave me please!" She picked up the paste, bolting past strangers around her.

He easily caught up and twisted her around. "Let's strike a deal then."

She looked at him with wary eyes. This couldn't be happening to her. "What?"

"A shot contest. If I drink more shots than you do without getting drunk, you have to tell me what's happened to you that has changed you. If you win you get to ask me to leave you alone, inquire about my deepest darkest secret, and a complimentary bowl of microwaved strawberries. If you choose to make a run for it, I will chase you. And we both know I will find you. So what will it be?"

Cat decided to make a run for it. She pushed past the people in front of her with ease and practically got run over by a few taxi's that were illegally turning on red. She pushed and shoved, and adrenaline was coursing through her veins like no other time she recalled. She crashed into a man who had an enormous stack of fliers, but continued on. As she looked behind her she could see that all of the fliers were snowing down like confetti all over the street. Her head whipped forward to see where she was going, and her legs pumped her onward as she dove into the nearest store she could see. Grabbing whatever clothing she could she made a quick escape to the dressing room, and when the door was closed slid down the tiny room's wall in order to catch her breath. She sat there, her heart thundering against her rib cage, and she wondered how on Earth she had gotten into this mess. She felt like crying, screaming and laughing all at the same time, but refused. Not in a dressing room at least.

A few minutes late but with a peak outside first, she left the dressing room and put back the shirt she hastily grabbed. Scoping the scene out the door, she gathered her hair and placed it messily on top of her head. She would have to run to Café au Lait in order to escape Beck surely. Just as she was about to head off, she felt a familiar grasp on her arm, and her stomach dropped.

"Really Cat? You made me run?"

"…you gave me a choice."

"Somehow I thought my dashing good looks and stellar personality would convince you to spend some more time with me."

"Well you were thought wrong. But ok, I'll do it."

"Really?...well of course! Let me just go home real quick and grab my fake id and we'll be on our way to intoxica—"

Cat pulled the handle of Vodka out of her bag and tugged on his hand leading him out of the store, "I got it. Where to?"

**A/N: YOU GUYS MADE IT! AGAIN! High five beautifuls. As always, please review whether you love it like Saturday morning cartoons or hate it like soggy cereal, and all craziness in between. Once again, it makes me feel all fuzzy. **

**& mercimercimerci to all my reviewers, j'adore. Have a lovely day.**


	5. cinq

**A/N: I'm alive! AND I still love all of you.**

cinq.

As he watched Cat pour them two full shots of vodka, Beck wasn't too sure of how stellar his idea was. However, he had to admit, he was pretty satisfied. On the way back to his dorm, some asshole taxi driver had soaked Cat with dirty puddle water when he had sped away. She was now situated across his little furniture storage block thingy, wearing an old T-shirt of his and some pajama pants. There was something about a beautiful girl wearing his clothes that was just fucking hot.

"…Beck? Why are you looking at me?"

Fuck. He had been caught staring. Oh god, he could feel the blood rush to the surface of his skin. Must. Concentrate. On. Canucks. Humiliating. Loss.

"…and why are you all red?"

Beck deflated, kind of like a balloon animal.

"Well okay. You're now fussy and silly." Cat smiled, and handed him his shot. She then took her own, swirled her finger in it and cautiously took a sip. Her face squeezed up. "It's yucky."

"We don't have to do this."

"No, I'd rather drink with you than alone now that I think about it. Plus you've got these cute little glasses." She giggled and examined his neon colored shot glasses.

"That I do."

"Bon apetit!"

"Bottoms up."

Beck winced as the liquid seared his throat. He felt the warmth make a home in his stomach, and peeked a look at his friend. He was a little surprised and embarrassed that she was looking at him intently, with this analyzing look in her eyes. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"What?"

"This is going to be so fun."

* * *

><p>"This is <em>sssssssssso<em> embarrassing."

"HAHAHA"

"I can't believe you won."

"I'm Italian. You had no chance silly."

"I'm Canadian?"

"Yeahhhh?"

"I dunno. I don't feel like a man."

"You're a man a BIG, STROOOOOOOOOOONG, MAN."

"Where's that from?"

"I don't know, my brains sleepy. It can't think."

"I don't think that's a good thing."

"It's fine. I need not to think."

"What happened Cat? Why are you so, so….so…..uhhh this is rubbish. I can't put my tongue to work."

"Let's have more!"

"Nooooo, nooooo. I can't. Why are you so….lucid? So not crazy?"

"Nu-uh sir. Can't tell youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu."

""

"AWW stop mr. frowny face."

"You, you're my friend. We had tacos together. This is real."

"What?"

"Remember that time at detention, we had tacos together. And they were your first tacos. Your very first ones."

"My last ones too."

"Or that time we had to act together for the movie. We kissed."

"You tasted like coconut. Jade tastes like coconut."

"Well yeah, we used the same chapstick. You remember what I taste like?"

"Yeah, coconut was my favorite!"

"Oh…wait. Why do you know what Jade tastes like?"

"She and I were girlfriend and girlfriend."

"You lie."

"HAHAHAHA."

"Oh my god. Don't do that to me."

"But you're face gets so funny and Indian."

"I don't know how I feel about that. And I'm beautiful. My dad said so."

"_Maybe I think you're cute and funny, maybe I wanna do what bunnies do, if you know what I mean_."

"You want to do what?"

"Kiss him away."

"Who? What's wrong?"

"Just kiss him away, Beck. If you want to help."

"I think you're really pretty."

"Your hair is so soft."

"I condition it."

"I remember, my gang ladies from Yerba told me that you taught them how to condition their hair."

"You remember?"

"Yes, I never forget things. Ever."

"I think I'm in love with you."

"You're drunk."

"Maybe, but I'll make you forget him."

* * *

><p>She felt hot and sticky as the sun teased her eyes open. The rays escaped through the cracks of the blinds. It had to be six or seven in the morning. Cat yawned, and then arched her back a little. As she turned her face to the right, Beck's nose brushed fully against her own and her lips were the tiniest sliver apart from his. His hair tickled her forehead, his arm was heavy on her stomach, and their legs an intertwined mess. She felt so tiny against his large frame. Cat closed her eyes, inhaled as much air as she could, and drew out her breaths. She was trying her best not to cry. This wasn't the face she wanted to wake up to.<p>

She untangled herself from him, slowly as to not wake him up. On her tip toes, she glides across the floor, picks up her boots, and steals a pair of his sweats. Just as she's about to leave through the door, she hesitates and lingers by the doorway. Unsure of what she's doing, she saunters over to his desk. Looking through his drawers, she finds some post its and a pen. Thinking about it for a second, she jots down a message, and just because she's always seen it in the movies, rubs in some of her perfume into the piece of paper. She walks over to him, and kneels down. A giggle escapes her as he shifts his position and sprawls himself across his floor looking as lanky as ever. She brushes aside some of the hair that was stuck to the side of his face with sweat and follows the glistening olive toned skin to his lips, which had been on her own not too long ago. Her gaze goes up his face to his heavily lashed eyes, and a sigh escapes her. She then places the note right on his forehead and without a look back she leaves his room. She's gotten good with that, not looking back.

* * *

><p>Beck wakes up because something pokes at his face. When he goes to rub his eyes he finds a piece of paper stuck to his forehead with sweat. Ugh. With a heavy hand he throws it off, and with sluggish brusque movements stands up, and starts looking for his phone. He gives up in about twenty seconds and starts looking for some advil instead. His head felt like someone was chucking coconuts at it. With a frustrated grunt, he starts picking up the comforter from the floor it all comes back to him.<p>

Fuck.

Cat and he had hooked up. He had been drunk, and she said some shit about kissing "him" away and then he couldn't remember anything but them hooking up. He banged his against his head for details, but all he could remember was that everything about her was so soft, and she smelled like vanilla, and that it was the best hook up he had EVER had. He just had a feeling. Oh god her lips were so swollen right before they both snoozed off. What an idiot, he knew he was a lightweight and now he can't remember the one of the best nights he's had since he's gotten to New York. AND his pride was hurt, losing a shot contest to a 95 pound girl.

Wait, where was she?

He looked everywhere as though he didn't already know that she wasn't there, and then he had this really uncomfortable feeling of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. Why hadn't she stuck around, they could've caught breakfast of something. He looked at his clock, it was five until noon. When did she leave that he didn't notice? He was usually a light sleeper. Just as he strided across his room to see if perhaps she was in the girls bathroom or something, the fucking piece of paper that poked him in the face stuck to his foot. He picked it up, and right when he was going to chuck it at the trash can he noticed girly cursive on it.

_Café au lait, 3 a.m. Bring tacos :)_

Hmm.

**A/N: SOOOOOOOOOO it's been a while. But here it is! Review, review, review! It'll make this day even more beautiful than it already is. Have a lovely day darlings.**


	6. six

**A/N: Hello loves, I'm so terribly sorry for the long wait. I have not been on here for the longest time, turns out I actually have to attend to my schoolwork. I know, I know, it's codswallop. I want to thank I-Am-Not-A-Smiley-Person, Gothic Guitars, Silver Rose and Smiley Face Nicasio for having Cafe Au Lait compete in The Topaz Awards! I cried silent tears of joy when I logged on to find that I was a nominee. It's really quite a surprise. And of course, thank you to all my lovely readers for remaining fans of this through my shitty updating. I promise I will finish, only time will tell when. The song Cat sings towards the end is Corinne Bailey Rae's "Closer." Take a hear to it, it's perfection. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious. **

**Six**

For once in her life, Cat felt like the hunter instead of the prey. With her chest rising and falling rhythmically, fists clenched and posture slender and long like a feline, she almost felt the strange sensation to hiss. The anger that had been initially shielded by betrayal and sorrow had come back with a vengeance, and she felt it course through her veins like heavy, palpable mercury. She looked at her, rather _their_ apartment door and felt hesitance. The woman on the other side of the slab of wood was her sister, and she had never felt something so akin to hatred for anyone in her entire life until now. Jade had made her a promise that the first time Cat admitted to hating something (or even better, someone) she would let Cat braid her hair, kiss her on the check, and then she would kill whatever, or whomever made her feel that way. She remembered that that week she tried to hate so many things, but just couldn't really. Even Rex had his tender moments. Cat's resolve weakened a little at the memory, but not enough to stop her from turning the key and stepping into her apartment.

On the black velvet couch, with a book in her hands that her eyes were looking at but couldn't quite see, was Jade. Cat noticed that Jade's usually vibrant eyes were lacking their usual vivacity, and she felt her anger diminish a little more. She cursed a second time. She could never really be mad too long at anyone, not really. She took Jade's book and slammed it on their coffee table, because she knew her anger wouldn't last and if she was going to end up in tears, she would at least make it a good show. After all, drama had always been their catalyst.

Jade looks up at Cat, and before the words leave her mouth, Cat knows she's going to not talk to Jade in a long, long time. But Jade's eyes don't look as colorless as before, and the part of Cat that isn't full of ugly is smiling blindingly.

"Now that wasn't very nice kitten," she says. Cat drags her breath out, and blinks back the tears that are itching out of her eyes. Jade never learns. This time is different though, Cat wants to play this time.

"I hooked up with Beck. I slept in his arms and he looks at me the way he looked at you. Before New York."

Cat really really wants Jade to feel what she feels. She wants Jade to feel dead but alive. She wants it more than she has ever wanted and when she sees Jade eyes become grey and shiny, she smiles and the rest of her anger is gone. Now only lays the scar scalded underneath the skin of her chest that will never allow her to appreciate scissors, cardboard signs, coffee and bluebutgreen eyes as much as before.

"Looks like we're even then," and Jade is looking like she wants to hiss too, but Cat see's the hurt, she sees the break. She adds it on the list of things she will never do again. She will never make Jade West almostcry again.

"My brother once dressed in all black and dyed pieces of his hair with all different colored sharpies. He called himself the Wicked Witch of the West and put a wig on our dog and called him Beckett." Cat says this with eyes bright. Bright with hope, or fear or love.

"You've told me that one before." Jade's eyes are dull, and she's almost smiling, smirking.

"I never told you that I did the same thing, except I pranced around with my neighbor crazy black cat that I called Andre." She winces a little as she says his name. Fresh wound. Jade looks overwhelmed with guilt with a smidge of confusion and Cat wonders why she confuses everyone, especially those who know her the most. She sits down next to Jade on their couch, and she's ready. "I thought it would be fun to be the person I loved most for a day. It's always been us, you're the moon and I'm the stars all around you keeping you company when the earth leave you for the sun." She's out of breath suddenly and this next part is the hardest to say, "but stars are the brightest before they die."

Jade's never been very good at speaking in riddles, not like herself, but Cat sees the understanding. Jade knows that they're not going to talk for a very long, long time. So she pulls out a bottle, tequila this time, and promptly gets absolutely smashed with her roommatebestfriendsister while smoking clouds that smell like cigarettes on their black velvet couch. She doesn't know when she falls asleep, but when she wakes up Jade is gone and there's nothing of hers left but a note in her cryptic cursive.

_He's moving out here, Cat. He got signed. I'll be staying with him in the meantime. I never got to say I'm sorry, but I truly am. Rent money is under the cookie jar. Just call when you're twinkling again, little star. _

Cat laughs and cries and laughs and then calms into giggles, because really this would only happen to her. Jade would fall in love with Andre while still loving Beck, and he would choose her over Cat. Cat goes into the bathroom and turns the showerhead on, and steps in. She takes off her wet clothes and lets the hot water sear her skin, and she decides that Beck can give a try at fixing her too. She's a little less complicated then Jade ever was anyway.

* * *

><p>Beck feels nervous and stupid for wearing his best shirt as he approaches Café au Lait. He can't help but feel jittery, and he hasn't even had a cup of coffee yet. He opens the doors to the café, and he feels warmth and a wave of the familiar smell of the place hits him. He could see why Cat chose a place like this to have as a second home; he wonders if maybe he could make it his sanctuary too. He sits in the same stool as he did last time, and sets down the warm and greasy brown paper bag on the bar. The lights begin to dim, and then there is a spotlight in the corner. He sees Cat, microphone in hand, head bobbing to the live music and looking downward. He curses his stupidity yet again for not being able to fully remember being with her last night. She looked absolutely stunning. She suddenly shoots her head up, and the world strikes three a.m. the same time her voice resonates. He sees the goose bumps on his forearm, and he blames it on a nonexistent draft. She's singing and he's wishing he would have sat closer so he could follow the swaying of her hips and the contours of her mouth. He's so engrossed in all that is Cat Valentine, he doesn't notice the barista serving him his bitter black coffee.<p>

His nervousness multiplies tenfold before it settles into masochistic pleasure as she strides over to wear he is, circling him as she sings and dips down brushing his entire body as she hits a note. She moves away and he has to will his hand to not grab her when she quickly turns around and sings in a lower, raspier voice. _"I want to get closer to you baby." _ He follows her body all the way back to her little stage, and watches the rest of her show with rapt attention ignoring the fact that he did the unmentionable, the thing that shall not be named, an act that will never ever be acknowledged for what it actually was.

Beck Oliver, the womanizer of Hollywood Arts and now NYU, swooned.

He'd pointedly ignore this fact until Cat points out when she meets him at the bar that his coffee is cold.

**A/N: As always, have a beautiful day loves. Believe it or not, your reviews serve as motivation for continuing! So please me with your views. They're like a tall glass of water in the summertime. **


	7. sept

**Disclaimer: Do not own Victorious.**

It turns out she doesn't like tacos. With intensity she can't describe to Beck. It's something about the synthetic tasting cheese joining the runny ground beef all gently held in by a slightly stale but still sort of crunchy taco shell that just makes her innards stir in a way she describes as "not fun." So she hands over her crumbled mess of tortilla to Beck, who eats it with a ferocity she can only resemble to a wild pack of hyenas feasting on the first kill of the night. It's rather alarming, and she asks Beck if he has eaten at all today, and he nonchalantly says he ate a burrito about an hour and a half before he came to the café. Cat watches him eat six tacos with rapt and unfaltering attention, and when he's done she cannot keep the look of sheer awe and horror off her face. Upon seeing said face, and the unwavering judgmental look in her eyes for the remainder of the time they spend together, Beck decides that his love for Chipotle does not have to be shared with his little and very vegetarian friend. Ever again.

But besides coming to the grave realization that Cat hates Mexican food, Beck spends the early hours of his day with her. He's engrossed in her airy laugh and finding any excuse to brush arms, legs, hands. He just wants to always _touch_ her, and when he's picking at invisible things in her hair he decides to walk her home. They make it about twenty two feet outside.

"There is no way we're walking to your place, unless you happen to have another handle of vodka in your purse."

"No, but I have something better." She pulls out knit lilac gloves that have little smiling kittens with little ears and little whiskers on each fingertip. She hands them to him.

"I have officially lost all of my masculinity. I think I'm prettier than you with these on. This is really my color."

Cat gives him a confused look, shakes her head no then smiling says. "No, your color would be a deep dark blue. Something like that dress I made for you that one time…"

He laughs really hard but has no retort, and calls a cab. The drive to her apartment building is quiet. They get to her apartment building quickly, and before he can say anything she's already outside her door looking through her purse for what he assumes is her keys. He asks the taxi driver to wait until she's inside, and when she is, she hollers a goodbye and closes the door without looking back at him. He's driving off but he hears the faint and high pitched "we should do this again sometime!"

She half means it. He knows.

* * *

><p>He calls her the next morning hoping she hasn't changed her number, and when he hears her groggy, "hellooooo?" he convinces her to come out to an un-Mexican lunch with him. She says she'll go, and she makes it very clear that it's only because she really needs her gloves back. Her brother had knitted them for her, and it was the first thing he had given her that he hadn't later eaten. He tries to not feel too smug when she doesn't just hang up on him after deciding what diner they're going to go, and then he unsuccessfully tries to suppress his inflated ego when he hears the hesitance in her voice when he needs to tell her to stop talking or they were going to end up catching lunch instead of breakfast.<p>

Beck smiles as he hangs up the phone. He hums a happy tune while he's showering. Dances a little too. He sings loudly enough to wake his roommate as he makes his bed. He doesn't give two shits. He makes himself a coffee while whistling some Bob Marley. He has a skip to his step as he hurries down the stairs. Opens the door and smells the pure New York air. Beck helps an old lady cross the street. The old lady tells him to fuck off. He laughs and thinks the elderly of New York need to get laid. He opens the door to his destination, winks at the hostess, flips his hair and puts his smoldering eyes to work. The girl gives him a booth seat. He sits down and orders another coffee. "Black, no sugar. Thanks love."

And he waits.

He's thinking about where Cat could be, when he realizes he's about fifteen minutes early. Damn. Well, he's an idiot. He's about to ask for some toast when he feels his back pocket vibrate.

Jade's calling. Hmmm. It was officially the longest she hadn't communicated with him. Since he ever knew her. Three whole days.

_"Jade."_

_"Beck."_

_"What're you doing?"_

_"About to get some breakfast with a friend. You'll never guess who."_

_"I hate guessing and I don't care enough."_

_"I know."_

_"Eh."_

_"Three."_

_"Three what?"_

_"Three whole days you haven't called me and a month since the last time we had sex."_

_"Rawrrr, someone woke up on the naughty side of the bed."_

_"No, just stating facts."_

_"Miss me?"_

_"Sort of. What's his name?"_

_"Who?"_

_"The new guy you must be fucking."_

_"You make me sound like a slut. But his name is Andre."_

_"Jade West. Does this Andre have anything to do with our dear friend from California?"_

_"What would you say if I said yes?"_

_"I'd be surprised that the both of you didn't tell me anything about liking each other."_

_"Well it's clearly more of a recent situation."_

_"You never cease to surprise me."_

_"Well someone's got to keep you on your toes."_

_"Someone is."_

_"Three days and you've already replaced me as your one female friend?"_

_"You've clearly replaced me."_

_"No one can replace you."_

_"Jadeeee…"_

_"Okay, okay. So whiny. So who's the new chick?"_

And for some unexplained reason…

_"Some girl I met at a café by my dorm. She's amazing."_

_"She better be if she's the second girl you've been interested since leaving the best thing that ever happened to you."_

_"Tori was barely a love interest. More of a desperate rebound on my part. Plus, her and that Danny kid always had that thing."_

_"Well I want to meet this girl."_

_"No."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because you scare people."_

_"Whatever. Have to go. Talk in three days."_

_"Is this our new thing? Every three days?"_

_"Like I said, someone has to keep you on your new toes, so maybe not. I'm not going to let some new girl beat me."_

_"You're intolerable."_

_"Bye Beckett Patel."_

_"I hate you Jadelynn."_

All of a sudden, he doesn't feel as transparent as his old high school locker.

* * *

><p>Cat's never gotten ready this early in the morning. She had gotten a grand total of 45 minutes of sleep, and she was beginning to think that Beck was sabotaging her sleep schedule on purpose to coerce her into going to these little outings with him. Then again, it wasn't like she was shooing him away as of late. Part of her also wasn't complaining at having to see his pretty face all the time. Even as a friend. A very tall, dark and handsome friend. And during her shower breakdown she had desperately considered recruiting him to fix her. She laughed as she pictured Beck hot gluing the broken pieces of her glittery bedazzled heart. She decided to stop thinking. Hopping on one foot as she tried to put on a ballet slipper on the other, she rushed to the door, already a good five minutes late. She opened her door and rammed into a hard chest that housed a familiar scent of pine, and sturdy hands that kept her from falling backwards.<p>

Her poor, broken, glittery heart.

The chest and hands were attached to non-other but Andre Harris.

**A/N: Review, it makes me happy. Thank you to my lovely reviewers, you make my day errday.  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 8: huit

**A/N: It's been too long, too long.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious.

huit.

He had been waiting there for a pretty long time. Andre didn't really have the courage to lift his heavy fist and strike the door. It hadn't been a week since the last time he was at this door. Except last time he wasn't expecting to find Jade West in a pretty dress with her hair wet and no makeup on and he definitely wasn't expecting the resurfacing of feelings he swore he had buried underneath his infatuation with Tori and respect for Beck years ago. He really couldn't even begin to comprehend how suddenly, in a matter of days he had went from failing school, not talking to his friends, and eating ramen every night to landing a record deal in New York, reconnecting with his old crew, and Jade in his bed every night. That thought brought a tenderness laced with poisonous regret to the center of his chest.

That was why he was here after all. He had fucked Jade right in front of Cat, his Cat. After all it was her who he loved fiercely. He let his feelings for her pierce the membrane that the rest of him was limited to and run wild and free and manifest their independence in Cat Valentine. Cat for him was the morning twilight, the first intake of winter air, the rain; she was an unexplainable magnificence of nature that couldn't be understood. The eye of the storm, perfection hidden inside a perplex destruction. Cat was his key to the good in all the bad that was his world. He had given up a mermaid for a siren, for a temptress. Jade was satisfaction. Living, being in, breathing in Jade was like living in eternal satisfaction, as if the world aligned itself perfectly and the cosmos shifted just right and he was in the right place at the right time to feel the utter perfection of unprecedented bliss. She was lady luck disguised as the black widow. He never minded spiders anyway. She wasn't Cat and the worst part of this fucked up situation was the fact that he could live with it.

His heart accelerates when he hears noises coming from the other side of the door. He can taste vile in the back of his throat and he doesn't know why he's here and she probably hates him and he's about to use his uncanny speed to run off when she opens the door, hopping on one foot, shoe in the other, crashing into him and is about to crack her head open as she's tipping backwards and he has nothing left to do but catch her. He sourly comes to the conclusion that he will never be able to do anything else for her now but catch her when she falls.

* * *

><p>She can't help but feel surprised. She can't help but feel that an invisible hand is squeezing her heart, piano fingers playing with her heartstrings. She can't help but wish that she hadn't made this breakfast date with Beck, that she was in her bed, not sleeping but just there, existing and not responding to any phone calls or knocks on the door. She looks at him, curses the fact that she can't look away, that underneath her pain she feels that emotion, that little thing people call love. Except it's not little, she feels as if she's drowning in it and some emotion she'll call nothatred but close enough.<p>

"Cat."

The familiar voice causes the most intense set of goose bumps she has felt in quite some time. Yet she can't smile, she can't even stop looking at him. She's just there, still being held up by his heavy hands. The smell of pine is suffocating her.

"Cat, we need to talk. I love you."

This does the trick however, indignation helps her out of the paralysis and she's out of his hands and under his arm and down the corridor in what she feels is impressively quick. She begins to run, and she likes having the wind brushing at her face and the cold biting at her ankles. She hears Andre running after her, but she knows that if he wanted to catch up to her he could, and she hates that she knows that he won't. Cat loves Andre with all her heart but Andre gives up. She needs someone who won't give up, someone persistent. She needs someone to run away from her problems with her.

She runs the two or three New York blocks that it takes to get to the diner that Beck chose, and she thanks the winter weather for not letting her sweat too much. Sweat is not very lady like. She sees Beck, in a booth near the back, and she can't help but smile. He's smiling crookedly, unwillingly she might add, at the waitress that is obviously flirting with him. He looks like he's in pain, and Cat laughs. She goes over to them, and says "Hey babe, sorry I was late. Got caught up in a little something. Did you order our usual?"

The waitress looks at her as if she wants Cat to spontaneously combust.

"Naw babe, I was waiting for you." Cat can tell that he's going to milk the "babe" thing for all she's worth.

"Aw ok! Well can I please have a coffee for now miss? Crème and six sugars please. And can you give us a minute, I think I want something new today." Cat's smiling at Beck, and thinks that she likes her something new more than she had expected to.

"You should sit next to me babe, that waitress might just want to steal the affection of your dashingly handsome prince of a potential boyfriend. She gave me her number Cat, you should fight for my honor. I think you can take her on. And if you can't, I'll kiss your wounds better. How bout it babe?"

"Beck, be quiet please. Now how does strawberry pancakes sound?

* * *

><p>For being so small, Cat could sure eat a lot. This was what Beck thought as he saw her scarfing down pancake after pancake while sipping on her coffee and digging into her cinnamon bun. He sat there, sipping on his black coffee; the bitter feeling was welcome. She hadn't stopped talking since she attractively pretended to be his girlfriend to shoo away the overbearing waitress. Something about how her shoes made her almost concuss herself, how she was finally beginning to like the cold and some stuff about her job and coworkers but Beck wasn't really paying attention. It wasn't that he wanted to be rude, but he just liked seeing her talk. Her mouth was swollen and red from being in the heat so shortly after being in the cold, and he really liked when she slid her tongue over her lips in between words or trying to catch some whip cream from the pancakes. He felt the same heat pool in his stomach, he felt it clench and warmth resonate in waves as if he was a device that was trying to catch the frequency of what was Cat Valentine. Beck shook his head to rid himself of his daze and saw Cat still rambling on.<p>

"You're feeling better," he said.

"Because really I don't even know how we're going to get along, you're a Capricorn and I'm a Leo and you're an earth sign and I'm fire and we're opposing elements which means that the cosmos makes our intermingling forbidden which kinda makes this sorta taboo which it's always been but I like it and how do you feel about lava cause that's what we are essentially."

"I like lava. It's hot, like us. Or you. Just you really."

"Weeeeeell I suppose you're right."

"Hey! That's the part where you were supposed to cut in and explain my excruciatingly genetically gifted handsome looks and how'd you like to bask in them forever."

"You flatter yourself too much, and you're really being way too flirtatious. It's noon."

"Yes, well I like you." He says, intentionally looking into her eyes. Calm. Cool. Collected.

She coughs slightly while sipping on her coffee, puts her fork down and returns his gaze.

"How do you know that? We barely know each other."

"I've known you since grade nine."

"Yes, and you dated Jade since grade nine."

"Yes, and I never got to know you the way I should have. I like you."

"How do you say that so easily?" Cat looks uncomfortable; Beck can feel his ease is disconcerting her greatly. He delights in it, she's biting her bottom lip nervously. He really likes this too much.

"I'm a writer, words are my thing."

"I thought you were an actor."

"That too, I have it all."

"You're full of yourself."

"You like it. You like me."

"No honey, I don't." She's looking straight into his eyes, and Beck feels the tiniest sting of rejection but keeps is hidden. He's calmcoolcollected Beck. No sense in breaking reputation over false rejection.

"But you do, plot twist. Beautiful young maiden, heartbroken over unknown character finds comfort and passion from best friend's ex flame. Makes for a good story."

"And you suppose I'm heartbroken, I could just be homesick."

"No, I know a nothappy Cat when I see one. Always have."

"And you never did anything about it. Figures."

"We were in high school and I was with Jade, she would have found it weird for me to notice your feelings."

"Ah, you were always scared of her, under that calm exterior you put up." Calmcoolcollected Beck glitches, feels caught even.

"I suppose so. Still doesn't take away from the fact that you like me, and that I like you." He feels like he always has, she's always captured his interest. He wants to write about her. Beck leaves that part out.

"Plot twist. Dashing young prince finds the young maiden sleeping on a park bench after she saw his ex-maiden fucking his best friend from the beautiful sunny land he moved away six months ago. The maiden is in love with the prince's best friend, and in her quest to seek revenge on the prince's ex maiden who also happened to be her best friend she sleeps with prince. Except she actually only sleeps with him and finds herself seeing him once and once again over false pretenses disguised as coffee, tacos and pancakes." Cat is looking at him and he can't look away, but he can't believe it either. This was a lot messier than he had thought. Yet he expected it in his marvel, the puzzle pieces were all there. The girl in front of him doesn't sound like the Cat he once knew, who stuck to using words that didn't exceed two syllables and didn't make sense most of the time. This one was fearfully lucid and beautiful and quick to jab and he realized that maybe all those years being Jade's right hand rubbed off on her.

"The dashing young prince takes advantage of false pretenses to near the young maiden, because he is smitten with her."

"The maiden hopes Beck has a tangible hot glue gun to glue all the pieces of her glittery heart back together."

He smiles at her, because in a weird way that was a yes. A yes to being more than friends he hoped.

**A/N: If any of you hoped for a new chapter from me after all this time, this is me telling you miracles can happen. Have a beautiful day loves. **


End file.
